


Shower Scenes And You

by JʼLi (kibigo)



Category: Metroid (Manga), Metroid: Other M
Genre: A Bit Contrived, Canon-Compliant, F/F, Madeline Has A Crush, Madeline as a student, Masturbation, PWP, Pornography, Showers, Young Samus, dating apps, first-person perspective, just for fun, postmilitary
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:47:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 7,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23458048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kibigo/pseuds/J%CA%BCLi
Summary: Samus is fresh off the boat from leaving the Federation Military after Ianʼs death. Madeline is a college student studying biology. One fateful afternoon, they run into each other, fuck, and go their separate ways. In twenty years, neither will remember the otherʼs name.Chapters are short. Updates regularly.
Relationships: Samus Aran/Madeline Bergman
Kudos: 7
Collections: s42an





	1. Touch

**Author's Note:**

> Iʼm working on a longer fic in this setting, but itʼs been progressing slowly so I wrote this to clear the way. Thereʼs not enough content out there of Samus when she was “young and naïve”, and I thought this would make for a fun what-‑if.
> 
> I hope you enjoy! Comments, as always, are appreciated. Flames about Samus acting like an actual teenager instead of a stoic bounty hunter are not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title track: [“Touch” | Daughter (If You Leave)](https://youtu.be/bg55B2bWEwM).

The streets of Liberty City, Jasdam were –  – thankfully –  – dry, and –  – less thankfully –  – hot, atypically so for this time of year. Or so the telecasts in the metro station informed me; I had, after all, been on the planet for not even a year –  – hardly enough time to familiarize myself with the local weatherpatterns. It was certainly warmer than Zebes, or the controlled climate of the Galactic Federation Battleship _VIXIV_ , or any of the other environments I had found myself navigating through in the past decade-‑and-‑a-‑half of my life.

I was told K-‒2L had been a warm planet. I couldnʼt remember.

The temperature was a problem because it was causing me to sweat. I longed for the thermal regulation of my Power Suit –  – but, of course, that was a “weapon” and I was not, strictly speaking, supposed to have it. Neverminding that it was fused into my person at the cellular level, nor that I was still an enlisted servicemember in the Chozo Armed Forces (the _sole_ enlisted servicemember, in fact). The Chozo had no military clearance here; nor, for that matter, anywhere at all.

Not since Zebes.

And so I was forced to sweat, as I walked from the metro station, down the street, and to the casual diner we had selected for our date. The streets were crowded –  – a word which takes on a different meaning after one has lived for years in the cramped quarters of a military battleship –  – but unlike on the _VIXIV_ , the crowds here did not have discipline, nor respect. They pushed, and they shoved, and I was digging my fingernails into my palm to keep from tossing a lad.

Thankfully, this date had been billed as “informal”. My disheveled ass couldnʼt pass for a Lady if I wore Cinderellaʼs own ballgown.

My name was Samus Aran. Ex–Federation military rising star; Protector of the Galaxy–on–hiatus. I had come to Liberty City on the back of heartbreak, and found it lonely, frustrating, and horribly uninviting. I created a dating profile just as soon as I was properly of age, seeking someone –  – anyone, really –  – to distract myself from all this ennui.

Within these diner walls sat one such potential match. His name was Jack and I knew Jack Shit about him. As far as profile pictures went, he looked about my type –  – in the latter half of his 20ʼs; muscular. We were meeting for a date per his request –  – he demanded “getting to know” his one-‑night-‑stands, a concept which I found ridiculous –  – but I supposed not everybody has the luxury of being able to vaporize in a matter of seconds any fool who thinks to try something funny. He wanted to “build trust”.

I had just walked away from the Galactic Federation military after the Commanding Officer I had looked up to like a father had let his younger brother who treated me like a sibling explode in a massive fireball amongst the stars. I was not _exactly_ in a place to be trusting right now.

I was eighteen, a refugee of a dying nation on a strange and unfamiliar planet, and honestly? I just wanted to be held.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is no canonical word about this part of Samusʼs life, and I doubt there ever will be, since Samus as an angsty teenager makes for some good flashback material but would be overwhelmingly unpopular as an actual area of focus for a Metroid game. So I have taken creative liberties with the idea. Jasdam is a planet from the Samus & Joey manga; I consider it as good a guess as any regarding where she winds up.


	2. The Story So Far

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title track: [“The Story So Far” | Kunaiki Haishima (Metroid: Other M)](https://youtu.be/24hPYg4_hEI).

It had been a bit of a rude awakening, realizing just how _much_ some of my fellow crewmembers lusted after me. They were, of course, a perversion of starmen who hadnʼt for months seen shore leave, and I was a teenage girl whose combat dress consisted of little more than a skintight jumpsuit. Having grown up surrounded by bird people, the… . . .  fleshiness of human beings tended to set me on edge, and the knowledge that I might especially be the object of their fleshy attentions did so more than ever.

But, as one will when one is forced to work with a crew every day, I also came to empathize with them. I was –  – again –  – a teenage girl, one who had grown up surrounded by bird people, and one who then suddenly found herself in close proximity with a large number of handsome, muscular, human men. Their exposed skin was not _only_ unnerving, it also stirred… . . .  other emotions in me, as I soon came to discover. I had learned about human sexual responses, of course, as a part of my childhood education. But it was one thing to be reading about them in a textbook, and another entirely to be immersed in them, in close quarters on a battleship, every day for over two years.

For extremely obvious reasons, actually acting on these desires and commencing relations with my fellow crewmen was _entirely_ forbidden. Commander Malkovich watched me like a hawk. So, it would not have been a stretch to presume the Galactic Federation Battleship _VIXIV_ to be the single most sexually frustrated starship in the entire GF fleet. I was granted but one reprieve: As the only woman among the military crew, and despite my (lack of) rank, I had essentially been granted officers quarters for the sake of privacy. Which was to say –  – I had a shower all to myself.

I had always prided myself on good hygiene.

But I was not in the Galactic Federation any longer. Time alone in a steamy showerroom was, indeed, much harder to come by in the Liberty City hostel where I was now staying. And my charms were far less effective now that I was surrounded by dozens of more mature and practiced members of my sex.

It was a change I was still not accustomed to. All my life, there had been those who would place their hopes, expectations, and (yes) fantasies onto me; I was, after all, Samus Aran: I had led a successful rescue mission into the heart of Zebes when I was just fifteen, and arguably, I was the Federationʼs most skilled combat fighter. I had been doubted; I had been challenged; I had been praised; I had been despised. But not once in my life had I ever been simply… . . .  ignored.

I was finding myself ignored with alarming frequency, now.

"Look, youʼre cute and all,"my date said. He was not _nearly_ as jacked as his name might lead one to believe. "But from your profile, I figured youʼd be a little… . . .  older? Like, are you even eighteen?"

I snatched my milkshake off the table and left without bothering a reply. He was carding me for _sex_ , and if that didnʼt shoot an arrow through my vanity, there was nothing left which could. I marched far enough away to no longer be within eyesight of the blasted place, then cemented myself on the kerb, sipped my shake, and sourly looked out at the city.

In retrospect, I probably should have made backup plans for the evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was significantly influenced by me pondering the fact that Lady literally poses for pinup shots at the end of like half of the Metroid games. Pretty hard to reconcile that imo with the conventional fan-‑interpretation of Samus as somehow afraid of her own body.
> 
> Maybe she likes being seen?


	3. Cruel Summer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title track: [“Cruel Summer” | Ace of Base (Cruel Summer)](https://youtu.be/ZogE9W55heE).

> ## Samus Aran
> 
>   * Human, 18, Liberty City
>   * Heteroflexible woman; looking for people for hook-‑ups and short-‑term relationships.
> 

> 
> just finished my time in the military (donʼt ask) and wound up here.
> 
> help me get accustomed to civilian life… . . .  with some hot civilian sex?
> 
> no strings, no commitments.

It wasnʼt exactly the “Protecting the Galaxy” that the Chozo might have hoped for. No, it certainly wasnʼt protecting anyone. But Old Bird had commanded that I prioritize caring for myself, and satisfying my sexual needs was a part of that. Or, perhaps it could more easily be explained that I was just horny. Horny and scared.

Neither emotion was new to me, but it was the first time in my life when I could actually do something about the former, as well as the first time in which addressing the latter seemed entirely out of reach. I had been powerless aboard the _VIXIV_ as the drive core of the _Lusitania_ had exploded, and I was powerless in this city, cut off from my destiny, a washed-‑up refugee with no future to speak of. What Iʼd had for friendships, relationships, and support structures Iʼd left behind when Iʼd asked Old Bird to bail me out of the Galactic Federation military. It had made Adam furious, I could tell, even though he expressed it as cold disappointment. And now it was hard enough just making rent and staying alive. That was not an enemy I could take out with my Power Suit.

Was it cliché to say, considering all of that, that I didnʼt want to die a virgin? I needed a distraction, something to take my mind off of… . . .  all of everything. A night without any consequences: an escape, or, failing that, at least one really good _fuck_ –  – 

"… . . . Iʼm so sorry, shit!"

I blinked. A body had collided with mine –  – human-‑shaped, bony, boobed; my milkshake now split somewhere between my chest and the ground. There was a woman apologizing profusely: " –  – I wasnʼt looking where I was going and I just tripped; fuck, I feel really bad about your clothes! Do you live nearby?"

Thanks to the high temperatures of the day, the shake had already been more liquid than solid, and it was penetrating my shirt with ease. It might have been refreshing, if not for the way the fabric stuck to my skin and the decidedly nonaqueous viscosity of the fluid. I was wearing a pink buttonup, and the shake had been strawberry, so at least the colours matched. Nevertheless, I was not looking forward to boarding public transit like this. I did not, in fact, live nearby.

But the woman was still speaking: "Look, my apartmentʼs just down the street; maybe you can borrow something of mine? I think we are… . . . "Her eyes were rooted to the spot of the stain, but with a light cough she corrected her gaze. "… . . . roughly the same size. Iʼll wash your shirt and return it, I promise, Iʼm not trying to _rob_ you –  – "I regarded her coolly until she ran out of steam. She looked to be a college student –  – judging from her apparent age and the fact that she wore a satchel –  – she was rather bookish-‑looking to boot. _Not_ the sort of person I would normally associate with; she reeked of an easy life, one whose greatest concerns were the finals upcoming on Friday. I couldnʼt relate to that on any level.

Her voice was pleasant enough, though. "… . . . Wow, youʼre uh, very pretty,"she said, as her fluster wore off and she examined my face in actual detail. It did make me feel a _bit_ like a lab specimen, but it was also probably the nicest thing anyone had spoken to me since my arrival, so I decided to let that pass. I broke eye contact, looking to the side.

"Iʼm glad _someone_ thinks so,"I muttered softly, though I was sure she could still hear. Then, more affirmatively, in her direction: "I suppose I havenʼt anything better to be doing this evening. Lead the way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I realize that this is the most hopelessly contrived setup ever. Just roll with it, lol.


	4. Hold Tight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title track: [“Hold Tight” | Jamie xx (In Colour)](https://youtu.be/xWEYPo2JQws).

The woman held out her right hand. "Iʼm Madeline, by the way,"she told me. We stood about eye level; if my boots hadnʼt a heel, she would have been the taller. She was a redhead, and her face was soft and attractive. "Madeline Bergman."

"Samus; Aran,"I replied, taking her hand in my left. Her grip was tight, moreso than I expected. And together we walked down the street.

I put on a good face, although internally I was distressing. Not only had this city rendered me insignificant and invisible, an unknown face amongst a sea of unknown faces, no longer the Lady and no longer the exception. No, but it had evidently done so so thoroughly that maidens were now walking clear into me on the street. It had taken a clothing disaster to get me invited upstairs for tea, and the thought did not precisely fill me with encouragement.

Still, the maiden in question –  – Madeline –  – did seem genuinely apologetic, and that was my saving grace. It was a bit hard to feel bad about a situation with a woman beside you trying so eagerly to make up for it. And, I was happy to be drug away from that stop. I hadnʼt been lying when Iʼd said I hadnʼt anything better to do: I was in too much of a funk for much besides sulking in bed, and that was hardly a pleasant way to spend oneʼs time.

The distance really was not far; I found myself wishing it had been further, actually, as her hand left mine to unlock the apartment buildingʼs front door. I flexed my fingers, letting the circulation return to them. "The laundry is in the basement,"Madeline said, making her way instead towards the ascending stair. "Letʼs pick you out a new shirt, and then Iʼll show you there?"

As much as wearing this queer womanʼs clothing might have appealed to me, I found it a tad unnecessary given the situation. I could just wait for the wash. "Thereʼs no need for me to steal something of yours, if you donʼt mind me loitering,"I replied, directing myself towards the basement. "Iʼve nowhere to be for the next while."

"Oh,"she blinked. "No, I donʼt mind."Actually, from the look on her face, it seemed she did quite the opposite of minding; she gave me a strange sort of smile. "You think you can find it on your own? Iʼll just go grab the soaps, then."

I had been raised in the caverns beneath Zebes. I scoffed and descended the stair. I figured I could find the laundry machine in the minus one floor of a block of flats.

It was a few moments later, and I was topless and Madeline was putting a number of her own items in the wash. "If you arenʼt bothered,"she said, hesitating, and I shrugged. "Wouldnʼt want to waste water, wot with washing only your shirt and bra."She gave me a look. "I had rather expected you would leave the latter article on, though."

I returned the look indignantly. "It had milkshake on it,"I said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A note on the respective heights :** Although English-‑language readers might believe Samus to be 6′3″ _outside_ of her Power Suit, Japanese media (as well as Super Smash Bros.) gives this as the height of her suited form. Concept art for Other M describes Young Samus as “small”, presumably relative to the men that she is serving with, and Super Smash Bros. seems to place her at about 5′6″ (without heels); Iʼm not going to pretend to know precisely how those additional nine inches are allocated. In any case, Madeline Bergman is described as “tall” and presumed to be around 5′7″.


	5. Nice To Meet You Too

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title track: [“Nice To Meet You Too” | Tim Linghaus (About B.)](https://youtu.be/Ji82W3ykqjk) [[Bandcamp](https://timlinghaus.bandcamp.com/track/nice-to-meet-you-too)].
> 
> **Editorʼs Note:** I modified the work skin for this fic (please use it) to change the font for _specifically just dashes and spaces_ , because AO3ʼs default of Lucida Grande simply does not render them properly. My apologies to everyone who was made to suffer through this unsightly bit of typography, and hopefully you will find this work much more pleasant to view now.

My shirt had, indeed, been soaked clean through. And now that my chest was exposed, the dessert substance was drying in a mildly unpleasant manner against my skin. I resisted the urge to rub at it, hoping it wouldnʼt rash; I had natural immunity to acid rain, not ice cream. "My apologies if this is imposing,"I said, as we made it up the stairs and towards Madelineʼs apartment. "But while we wait for the laundry, do you suppose I could cop a shower? My chest is feeling a touch… . . .  sticky."

"Itʼs no imposition,"Madeline replied, unlocking the door to her flat. "First door on the left; towels are under the sink. Do you mind if I ask: What flavour of milkshake was it?"

I stood rather awkwardly in the bathroom doorway, about to close the door, but unable to, now that Madeline was attempting smalltalk. "Uh, strawberry,"I told her. I leaned against the frame in a manner I hoped was casual.

"Mm, thatʼs a right shame,"she said, returning her detergent to the hall closet, wasting the gesture as she didnʼt even look my way. "I love strawberry."

"There might still be enough here on me for you to gather a taste."The comment was supposed to be black humour, but Madeline played it real, biting her lip and eyeing my chest in exaggerated contemplation. Then she laughed (blushing slightly) and rolled her eyes.

"Go get washed up,"she said. "Iʼll move our things to the dryer in a few. Youʼll have _plenty_ of time to flirt with me after, if you please."

Her statement caught me by surprise –  – although I supposed I had been flirting, in a certain way, just then; I hadnʼt entirely realized, as it didnʼt quite match the definition I had arrived at with men. Namely, I wasnʼt attempting to (1) seduce her, (2) disrupt her faculties, or (3) gain favour; no, I was just having fun. And, as she laughed again at my dumbfounded expression, I realized that she had just been “having fun” right back at me.

"Right,"I said, nodding, and finally let the door close between us.

The bathroom was small, as one might expect from a college apartment, but it was well-‑kept –  – clean, and tidy, a signal of an organized mind. I retrieved a towel and stripped off my trousers, leaving them folded with my panties alongside the door. My tongue stuck out at the nude figure which greeted me in the mirror –  – a ritual of love for the visage which had caused me so much trouble in the military –  – and I activated the fan. Then I set off attempting to figure out how the fuck to turn Madelineʼs shower _on_.

It took a good moment, and I was near about to walk right out there in all my nethers and demand that she show me herself, when I finally got it figured out. One scalding second later and I had managed the temperature controls, too. Sighing, I stepped under the cascade of water, combed my fingers through my hair, and let my muscles loosen as the droplets washed the last vestiges of strawberry-‑flavoured disappointment down the drain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> « One of the oft-‑used (and maligned) clichés in the Metroid fanverse is the usage of shower scenes –  – particularly of naked Samus who just has to unleash her urges. »
> 
> The title of this work was liberated from a rant (which I am _not_ citing) that I happened to stumble across On The Internet. Iʼm trying my hardest to fuck it up as best I can.


	6. Get On A Flow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title track: [“Get On A Flow” | Tukico (Become)](https://youtu.be/-SVjut9oUnk) [[Bandcamp](https://hushhushrecords.bandcamp.com/track/get-on-a-flow)].

A warm, solitary shower wasnʼt how I would have _liked_ my first date on the surface of Jasdam to have ended, but it was serviceable. Showers alone had, after all, thus far made up the entire sum of my sexual history.

But this one had been _cute_ , though, right up until he had opened his mouth; that, I decided, was the most frustrating thing about the whole affair. Granted, perhaps Jack had not been as Ripped as Iʼd hoped him to be, but he was still Handsome. For a one-‑night stand, I still would have considered it. Instead, I found myself here, my thumb teasing my clit, cleanliness momentarily forgotten as the water poured over my body.

All things considered, perhaps that was the preferable option. It had been a long time since Iʼd had the privacy to pleasure myself, and I was certain I could do a better job of it than some random stranger, even if I was resigned to doing so in Madelineʼs bathroom.

Speaking of, Madeline –  – that wasnʼt the face I had intended to visualize, as I leaned up against the shower wall. The porcelain hadnʼt yet the chance to warm up, and the cool tile augmented nicely the sensation of my budding arousal. I sighed –  – it came out louder, closer to a moan. It was hard not to think of her when I was _in her flat_ , in the place where she had spent most of her hours nude. I wondered if she had ever taken this position herself, then rolled my eyes, and stretched out my fingers inside of me. Assuredly, she had.

It was beside the point, and so I tried to get my mind back on track. I was trying to masturbate, not interrogate a random womanʼs sexual practices. Now, if my _date_ were in this shower, I asserted, then _that_ would be a sight to see.

I tried to imagine his figure: his broad shoulders, his cool jaw, his dick –  – my only frames of reference for that last one were Chozo biological data (boring) and pornographic vids (unrealistic); this being _my_ fantasy, I erred on the side of porn and pressed my fingers in deeper. I imagined us making out, messily, his erect member grazing against my hip; I imagined his lips, and fingers, tracing my shape under the torrent of water; I imagined his tongue reaching out, making contact, right where I wanted it most, and my fingers digging needily into short, red hair as I (moaning, more forcefully this time) had my core eaten out… . . . 

… . . . Wait, that wasnʼt right. I paused –  – Jackʼs hair had been brown, not red. And suddenly it was Madeline there in the room with me, her fingers reaching down to massage her own clit, and she was laughing and rolling her eyes, the same as she had in the hall. And I felt my muscles tighten, right there.

I was obviously some kind of confused. Although, by this point I was too far gone to care. I was about thirty seconds away from orgasm, and if Madeline was what it would take to put me over the edge –  – so fucking be it. So I imagined Madeline. There she was, sitting in the other room; there, wandering about her apartment, an ordinary Tuesday morning; there, fetching a drink from the fridge in naught but her panties; and here, screaming my name as we came in unison, hips bucking against our hands, our knuckles buried deep in each other… . . . 

My orgasm ended, and I let myself sink to the shower floor. Not wanting to give up this fantasy just yet, I brought my fingers experimentally to my mouth, imagining it was Madelineʼs flavour I was tasting instead of my own. The sounds of the shower rang loudly in my ears; heavens, I thought, I was such a fucking perv.

But as the water washed away my sweat, and other fluids, I found it hard to regret even for a moment the best orgasm I had experienced in a year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There, I gave you something to masturbate to for the next couple of chapters lol.
> 
> The explicit chapters like this one are definitely the greatest challenge of this fic –  – keeping things contained in such a small word-‑count; providing gripping sex without it sounding rote; conveying the thoughts and emotions of an eighteen-‑year-‑old in the first person without writing trashy prose which sounds like an eighteen-‑year-‑old wrote it –  – mostly Iʼve just tried to maintain the erotic atmosphere and ~~punted on the rest of it~~ left the remainder to your imaginations.
> 
> If you actually care about the mechanical specifics of how Samus pleasures herself in the shower, you should seek out an artform with more sophisticated rendering ability than literature.


	7. Pistachio

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title track: [“Pistachio” | Lisa Hannigan (Sea Sew)](https://youtu.be/f5cd8oartqM).

The tiny fan in the ceiling had been utterly unsuccessful at preventing the room from fogging up, a fact which bothered me not at all. I dried off my hair and left the towel hanging, streching limberly as I cracked the door to let out the steam. It had been too long since Iʼd had time to myself like that, and I felt clean, refreshed, and remarkably calm. I snagged my clothes up off the floor and stepped out into the hall, and into full view of the living room.

Madeline reclined there, on the couch, her laptop fulfilling its nominal role. She glanced up as I entered, and immediately turned a peculiar shade of beet.

I froze, somehow surprised to see her there –  – then glanced down at my still-‑naked form. Ah, right. This wasnʼt my room. I had never showered in anotherʼs personal quarters before; I had certainly never _masturbated_ –  – anywhere other than my rooms aboard the _VIXIV_ , actually, now that I thought about it. My afterglow had left me with a disrupted sense of place. "… . . . Sorry,"I said, shaking my head and trying to set my orientation straight. "Forgot I was still in your flat."For her part, Madeline made a big show of not seeming to care (although her cheeks were still pink): "Whatever makes you comfortable,"she said, waving her hand.

The cooler air of the hall made my skin prickle, but there was nothing really for that; I still didnʼt have a shirt. Otherwise, I was surprised to find I was actually _perfectly_ comfortable standing there in the nude, whether Madeline was sneaking a peek or pointedly doing the opposite. I chalked this, again, up to afterglow. But I figured the least I could do was put on some panties. "How are the clothes doing?" I asked, tugging them up to cover my most sensitive areas.

"You were in there a long time, but not _that_ long,"Madeline replied. "Probably still a half-‑hour on the dry cycle at least. The shower was to your liking?"I mmmed in response. "Perfectly,"I told her.

She set her laptop on the floor and rose to her feet, making her way towards the flatʼs small kitchen. "Iʼm feeling a bit peckish; do you mind if I eat? Do you want anything?"She opened the fridge. "Iʼm assuming from the source of this incident that youʼve already supped, but if you havenʼt, I can always whip something up."I shrugged in reply. "In all honesty, I think I stormed out with most of my supper untouched,"I told her. And I clarified: "I _was_ on a date."

"That bad, huh? Iʼm sorry to hear that."She pulled out some parmesan and set a pot to boil. She had a bowlful of pistachios resting on the barcounter, and she grabbed a handful to munch on as she cooked. "I never have time for dating anymore, what with University and all. If itʼs any consolation,"she glanced at me, "Iʼm sure youʼre a catch."

"Oh, I donʼt know about that,"I laughed. Iʼd never actually… . . .  lived, domestically, with another person before; the military was hardly a substitute and the hostel even less. So I had a feeling I would probably make a terrible partner. Watching Madelineʼs back as she prepared a meal, however, I could see the appeal. "I was mostly just looking for a quick fuck. … . . . Do you need any help with that?"

She shook her head and gestured for me to sit down. "Itʼs just pasta,"she said, smiling. "I think I have it handled."

I sat my ass down at the bar. It was probably for the best: I didnʼt actually know how to cook.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You ever masturbate in someoneʼs shower to the thought of them naked and then walk out and chat with them like nothing happened and everythingʼs fine? I havenʼt, but it sounds nice.
> 
> There is not _nearly_ enough characterization in Other M to be able to predict what Madeline was like in her college years, so Iʼm really just making it up as I go. I figure you donʼt get to be Site Manager and Development Director of a secret government bioweapons research satellite without having a good head on your shoulders, though.


	8. Your Touch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title track: [“Your Touch” | Nine Inch Nails (Ghosts V: Together)](https://youtu.be/25f8pQUytDc) [[direct album download](https://smarturl.it/GHOSTS2020)].

The meal was basic, but delicious, and I savoured every bit. As I cleaned up the final bites, Madeline went down to the basement to check on our things, and she returned with a full load of warm laundry. My articles were selected from the pile and tossed to me. "Although, I hope you donʼt feel under any pressure to leave,"she said. "Itʼs pretty rare I get guests these days, and itʼs been kind of nice having one around."

I put the warm shirt on immediately, depositing the bra with my pants on the floor. "Like I said, my date was a bust, so itʼs not like I had anything planned for the evening."Madeline asked if it really did go _that_ poorly, and I sighed. "I donʼt know if it went _poorly_ , or if I am just impatient. Probably a little of both."I flopped onto the sofa, and Madeline sat down a respectable distance to the side of me. "I do feel better about it now, though."

"Mm, yes, long showers _can_ help with that,"Madeline replied, a hint of knowingness buried deep within her tone. I looked at her dumbly, and she laughed and lightly elbowed my side. "Oh, come on, Samus, the walls arenʼt _that_ thick,"she said, sotto voce. "I could hear you."

It was my turn to feel my cheeks growing red. "Yes, well,"I stammered. "As you said."She smiled at me. "You seemed a lot happier afterwards,"she told me, "so, you know. Iʼm glad."

I sighed, leaning back into the cushion. "Honestly, I think that was the shower as much as the masturbation. And the good company. And the food."I paused for a moment, marvelling at how wholly my mood actually _had_ shifted from my depressed angst earlier in the day. I felt looser than I had in ages; as I had living with the Chozo, or during my time with the Federation Police, prior to my enlistment after Zebes. I wasnʼt the same woman anymore –  – the military had changed me –  – but the sensation was like meeting an old friend. I did _use_ to be happy. "Thank you _so_ much,"I said. "Seriously, wow."She scooted a little closer and leaned her arm against mine. "Anytime,"she replied.

Normally, it would have bothered me. Living in close quarters with so many people for so long meant that my personal space was very important to me –  – I generally didnʼt like to be touched. But sitting there, in my warm and soft cottons, beside a woman who had done nothing but make me feel whole and renewed, and I decided this was fine, actually. I leaned back against her, letting my head rest against hers, and we sat there in silence for a good long time. She smelled of security, and calm.

Madeline tilted her head, and her lips affectionately graced my temple. I turned, and our noses touched. Her eyes made for a beautiful green. I held them in my mind as I closed my own, tilting my mouth forward. She kissed me there, too.

It was five seconds before our lips parted, and in those five seconds, it felt like a lifetime had passed. Her fingers ran lightly through my hair. "What was that you were saying about wanting a quick fuck?"she asked, breathily, her mouth just millimetres from mine.

I laughed quietly in response. "I kind of already took care of that,"I replied. "… . . . But I have nowhere better to be tonight."I pressed my lips against hers for another kiss, and this time, she snatched my lower lip between her teeth and tugged lightly. "Mm,"she said, eliciting a small moan from deep within my chest. "A _slow_ fuck, then."

"Yes, please,"I softly replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Samus Aran in domestic situations is the absolute best thing and you will never convince me otherwise.
> 
> **Editorʼs Note:** Apologies for not getting this up yesterday; I got a bit caught up in Pokémon.


	9. Move Your Body

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title track: [“Move Your Body (Alan Walker remix)” | Sia (This Is Acting)](https://youtu.be/bZxrIoCPsOc).
> 
> **Editorʼs Note:** Okay look I _know_ Iʼm running like a week behind here but this _will_ be completed in April I promise. (Thatʼs maybe a lie; life is hectic right now; weʼll see.)

"Itʼs only fair,"I said, as I undid the last of the laces on Madelineʼs sneakers, liberating her feet from their grasp. She was reclined back on the couch and I was doing my damnedest to get her out of her trousers. "Iʼve already come once in the shower, so I daresay itʼs time you saw some action."

"Mm, canʼt argue with that,"Madeline replied, unclasping her buckle and releasing her fly, such that I could finally pull the garment down. I clambered back on top of her, delighting in the sensation of our legs rubbing up against each other, and letting my hands trace slowly up her thigh. Our kisses were growing rapidly sloppier and less restrained, and our hair increasingly more wild.

"Heavens, your panties are damp,"I teased, as my fingertips made contact with them. I really was wasting no time at all. "Are you sure you havenʼt been giving yourself a head start?"Madeline gave me the most pointed glare in reply. "Samus, darling,"she said. "Thereʼs no need to be modest. We both know that the person responsible for the current state of my panties is _you_.""What, just walking around in my underwear?"I giggled. The thought seemed ridiculous. But she raised her eyebrows at me. "… . . . Damn,"I said.

Yet, as I hooked my fingers under her garmentʼs waistband for to remove, Madeline gently touched my hand. "… . . . Wait,"she said, and I did, expectantly. She seemed a tad less certain, suddenly –  – avoiding my gaze. But the tension was broken by what she said next: "I… . . .  may have. Touched myself, just a little. While you were in the shower."

I laughed at that, and gently nuzzled her ear. "If it makes you feel better,"I whispered, "it wasnʼt my original intention, but… . . .  I may have been imagining as much, while I was in there.""Oh?"she asked, this tidbit helping her to overcome her embarrassment. She gave me a quick peck on the lips. "Do tell."I replied: "I mean, it was kind of hard not to, seeing as I was naked in your shower, and you were just in the other room… . . . "

She laughed. "Now imagine that I was vocally moaning my way to orgasm and youʼll have an idea of how _I_ felt,"she said. "I had half a mind to burst in there and finish the job for you myself."("Oh? What stopped you?"I asked. She replied: "… . . . You locked the door.)"

I let a hand slip down inside her panties, brushing up against the fringes of her labia, just for a moment, just enough to make her shudder. "… . . . I donʼt think Iʼll have to imagine,"I whispered. I applied the faintest bit of pressure and was, indeed, met in return with a low moan. "Why donʼt you just show me?"

"What, you mean like, masturbate for you?"she asked. I shrugged. It sounded like pretty good fun, and it wasnʼt like she hadnʼt already gotten a rise off of _me_ getting off. "… . . . Alright, I suppose thatʼs fair. Would you grab my laptop?"

A bit puzzled, yet interested in seeing what would follow, I lifted the device off the floor with my clean hand and placed it on the nearby table. Madeline leaned over and pressed the spacebar, waking it from its slumber, then typed in her password. I made things a little more difficult by continuing to play around in her underwear.

The images which greeted us on her screen, naturally, were porn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fucks Given rapidly descending towards zero over here.


	10. Young Blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title track: [“Young Blood” | Birdy (Birdy)](https://youtu.be/Ee-vUomV7HY).

A woman lay on her back, legs spread, devoid of any clothing, one breast cupped in her hand. Between her legs, a second woman nuzzled softly at the folds of her labia, found her swollen clitoris, and pressed her lips to it, tenderly. The firstʼs back arched, her face an image of rapture. There was no sound, but nor was any necessary to understand the emotion which tore through her body, forcing her hands into the hair of her partner, forcing her lips apart with a moan.

Beneath me, I felt Madelineʼs hand slip into her panties, and her breath hitch as she rubbed her own nib tenderly, her eyes trained on the pictures. The beauty of the actresses notwithstanding, of the two scenes, it was hardly a contest which held the more interest for me. Slowly, and not wanting to interrupt her flow, I tugged the waistband of her panties down, over her hand, revealing her slender fingers and the attentions they were doting there.

I had identified myself as “heteroflexible” on my dating profile. I had, after all, come of age surrounded by men, and while it had always been obvious that I was not 100% straight, I had considered my homosexual tendencies to mostly be confined to passing admiration of a beautiful lass from afar. Lying there, though, with my head between Madelineʼs thighs, watching as her fingertips gently encircled her clit, wet with liquid, smelling her and hearing her cry out softly as her arousal grew, there was no mistaking it: I was deeply, irrevocably, _sexually_ attracted to the female sex. Never in my life had I wanted something more.

"Donʼt stop,"I said, and I pressed my lips gently to her labia. Madelineʼs hips rocked slightly and, true to form, her fingers most certainly did not stop moving. I heard her gasp as I tenderly parted her folds with my tongue, letting the tip slowly trace around her entrance… . . . 

… . . . And just like that ("Samus!), she came. Far sooner than I had expected; I tried to keep the disappointment off of my face."

"Well, _that_ didnʼt take long,"I teased. Madeline scoffed as best as she was able, still coming down. "Donʼt give me that shite,"she joshed. "You came a full hour ago, remember? So now weʼre even."

She reached over with her untainted hand and closed the laptop, not bothering to take the time to exit out of the video which was playing. "Now come snuggle with me, alright?"

I obliged; I slid up her body and effectively came to lie directly on top of her; she was soft and comfortable. "You okay?"I asked, wanting to make sure I wasnʼt squishing her _too_ badly. She smiled, her eyes closed, and pressed her cheek against mine. "Perf,"she replied. And we lay like that for a good while.

It was clear when Madeline came out of the depths of her orgasm, because she became immediately more active, tracing her fingers up the back of my shirt, humming quietly. "You know,"she said, softly. "If that wasnʼt enough for you, you could always just spend the night."

I nodded, not wanting to make the effort to actually speak anything. Iʼd no desire to put on pants for any time in the next twelve hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you tell Iʼm bored of smutfics where everything goes all-‑too-‑well? I like characters who are a little bad at sex. Sorry if that kills your boner. (I take pleasure in killing your boner.)


	11. Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title track: [“Dreams” | The Cranberries (Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Canʼt We?)](https://youtu.be/Yam5uK6e-bQ).

By the time I finally drifted off to sleep, the little spoon in Madelineʼs cramped twin bed, it was hard to believe that I had begun the day virgin. This wasnʼt to say we spent the entire evening having sex. Actually, first we made cookies. Then Madeline tried, with limited success, to teach me how to play video games. Then she made popcorn and put on a movie.

We made it about halfway through _that_ before the last of our clothes came off.

I liked to think that I was pretty good at pleasuring myself, given my many years of frustration; perhaps it was cocky of me, but in fact, I assumed my proficiency probably exceeded that of most women my age. So it was quite a shock for me to discover the extent to which my own ministrations paled in the face of those of my partner. It wasnʼt that she was particularly _skilled_ –  – she didnʼt know my body hardly at all, and we had a running dialogue the whole time of advice and recommendations on how to make things better –  – it was just that she was _very_ hot and able to tease me in ways that I couldnʼt possibly with myself. It was humbling to learn _that_ was all it took to make me come harder than I ever had in my eighteen years of life, and then even harder still. And it made me feel a little less anxious about my own lack of experience with her.

We fucked until fatigue took hold, and our satisfied sex drive could no longer compete with the urge for our eyes to close.

It was rare that I dreamt in a manner which would be remembered in the morning –  – a blessing, because those dreams I did recall were usually surreal episodes laced with the emotions of those around me, or nightmares of childhood terrors I could no longer put a shape to but which menaced from the dark. And I didnʼt dream that night either –  – precisely. But I knew as I woke that a certain woman had been present in my thoughts all night, in a calm and assuring way. I yawned and stretched in the sunlight, perfectly temperate and comfortable. Madeline wasnʼt there in the bed beside me, but I hardly missed her at all –  – so present was she already in my mind and heart.

I smelled eggs frying in the kitchen. I followed my nose. "Morning, sweetheart,"Madeline said as she heard me enter, glancing over from the stove. She was wearing a cute mockery of my outfit from the day before –  – t-‑shirt and panties, fresh from her wardrobe. I was back in the nude. "Morning,"I replied, blearily gathering up my clothes from their various locations on the floor.

"Do you want coffee? Tea? Brekkies will be in just a bit. "Madeline reached up into the cabinet to grab some plates, and I tried not to stare at how the shirt hung off her figure.

"Tea is fine, thanks,"I replied, sauntering off to the bathroom to finally get dressed and take care of business. When I emerged, there was a mug waiting for me, accompanied by Madelineʼs bright smile. Actually, she seemed to be laughing about something. "… . . . What?"I asked.

"I think this is the first time when youʼve actually been _more_ dressed than me,"she giggled, portioning eggs and toast between the two plates. She passed one my way. "Dig in,"she said, promptly following her own advice.

"… . . . Thanks,"I replied, extremely unused to being on the receiving end of this much hospitality so early in the day. It scared me, but mostly for how much it made me never want to leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you havenʼt noticed, the tracks referenced by the chapter titles are actually selected to play well in sequence. Which explains some of the more unusual picks. For the most part, I had the story planned out before I started fitting music to it, though.
> 
> One more chapter! You can tell from the summary that it wonʼt be _all_ roses, so buckle in.


	12. Dear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title track: [“Dear” | Carbon Leaf (Echo Echo)](https://youtu.be/E0bYRf13n7E).

Breakfast, was, of course, delicious. I helped clean up afterwards, as much as Madeline told me it was no problem, and ended up with her arms around me, hugging me from behind as I stood at the sink. I dried my hands and turned, and we kissed, long and slow.

I was the first to turn away. "Thank you for your hospitality,"I said, my voice a bit stiff. There was no sense delaying the inevitable any longer. "But I should probably go."

Madeline took a deep breath and nodded –  – although her expression betrayed the sadness she felt. "Safe travels,"she said. "Try not to have any more unfortunate wardrobe accidents on your way home?"

I tried to make light of it. "I donʼt know,"I replied; "if _this_ is how they end up, I just might."She smiled sadly in response. "How they end up?"she asked. "With a goodbye?"

There was a point in that.

She tried to give me her number; I pushed it back at her, despite it taking all my discipline as a (former) soldier to do so. "Keep it,"I said. "I… . . .  Iʼm really _not_ in a good place to be with someone right now, and… . . . "I gave her a tight-‑lipped smile, noticing how my heart jumped as I gazed upon her face. Remembering how _easy_ it was to relax as I leaned against her shoulder. The softness of her cottons; the scent of her hair. "… . . . I think Iʼm in love with you."

She barked a short laugh, even though there was nothing particularly funny about the situation. "So what, thatʼs it, then? We meet, fuck, and go our separate ways?"

I scratched the back of my head awkwardly. "That was kind of the original idea… . . . "I had never made any pretenses of wanting anything other than a one-‑night-‑stand. In retrospect, I realized that perhaps the reason I had thus far focused my efforts on men was because it was so much easier to just give them the finger. Sapphic love made for a heavier heart than I was prepared to bear. Still, I gave her a weak smile. "Itʼs not that big of a city,"I said. "Maybe weʼll run into each other again."It was a lie, and we both knew it. "I had a really good time –  – like, _really_ good –  – I just… . . .  Getting close to people is hard for me."

"Well, then. I suppose thatʼs that."She didnʼt press the issue, but –  – unexpectedly –  – she removed a clip from her hair and used it to pull back my bangs. Her own fell awkwardly in front of her face, and it was so cute I couldnʼt help but laugh. "Something to remember me by."I nodded, bid my farewells, and before long found myself alone on the sidewalk outside her block of flats. I stared back at what I now knew to be her window, before the autobus arrived and carried me away.

The clip itself was cheap and girly and the opposite of anything I would ordinarily wear. But in that moment, I would have protected it with my life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know I just made you click the “Next Chapter” button 11 times for what was effectively a oneshot. If youʼre reading this, then that means you finally made it through!
> 
> Thanks for taking the time, and I hope you enjoyed :) .


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